Sponsorship Opportunities

(Closing the deal: Fried Eagle staff member asks for sponsorship from Coldwell Banker)

If thought about it for too long, this final hurdle feels too high to reach and too heavy to carry. But with the support of our community, we can and we will.

Fried Eagle needs to fundraise at least $570 in order to publish the zine. This price tag includes:

1. Classroom Space: $15
This is the annual application processing fee from the Portland Public School District. Fried Eagle requires a classroom space after school in order to continue making future zines.

2012-13 Classroom Space Sponsorship: Open

2. IPRC Membership Dues: $55
This is the annual membership dues to join the local nonprofit, Independent Publishing and Resource Center (IPRC). Fried Eagle will use to center's space and equipment to publish zines on a quarterly basis.

2012-13 IPRC Membership Sponsorship: Open

3. Publication: $400
It costs $2 to publish one 40-page zine. Fried Eagle's goal is to publish 200 zines. Roughly 50 of those zines will not be sold; they will be gifted to our community sponsors, our gracious interviewees, and  the Fried Eagle staff (each child earns one free zine). The other 150 zines will be sold at the school and in the greater community. The profits from the sales of those 150 zines will be used to publish more zines which, ultimately, will raise more money for the school.

Fall '12 Publication Sponsorship: $150 has been met; we still need to raise $250

4. Supplies: $100
Supplies, such as markers, flip charts, double-sided tape, lots and lots of paper and printer ink, were necessary to complete this first zine. We estimate an annual cost of $100 for supplies. Thankfully, the supplies cost has already been sponsored.

2012-13 Supplies Sponsorship: Met

The above list is is extensive, however, it only covers the bare essentials. Fried Eagle's wish list adds an additional $450 to the program. This price tag includes:

1. Reporter Badges & I.D. Cards: $50
The Fried Eagle staff requires laminated reporter badges and I.D. cards for all of their official duties on and off the playground, such as: cub reporting, journalism, editing, drawing and lettering, sales, and publishing. These badge and I.D. cards will be designed annually by the Fried Eagle staff.

2012-13 Reporter Badges & I.D. Cards Sponsorship: Open

2. Educational Workshops: $200
Once Fried Eagle becomes members of IPRC, the staff has opportunities to take educational workshops  on-site such as: cartooning, letterpress, creative writing, screen printing, computer layout, bookbinding, hand-lettering and more. These skills will help the staff publish a higher-quality zine. Furthermore, these skills will develop a lifetime of creativity, inspiration and the pursuit of continuing education.

2012-13 Educational Workshop Sponsorship: Open

3. Field Trips: $200
The Fried Eagle staff will occasionally need to travel to reporting assignments, such as the state capital when the legislature is in session. Field trip sponsorship will cover the cost of gas and other incidentals.

2012-13 Field Trip Sponsorship: Open

Done!

Well, team Fried Eagle did it! Out of thin air, the kids created their very first zine. And, wow, is it exciting to see!

It was a fun and busy summer. Behind the scenes, the Fried Eagle staff had important business to conduct. 

Such as...

...grave rubbings and ghost stories...

...and paper planes and pancakes.

Attempting to make pumpkin pies without assistance...

...and savoring the sweet taste of victory. (Literally.) 

There were also reportings and interviews...

(Mayoral candidate, Charlie Hales)

(Mayoral candidate, Jefferson Smith)

...with the well-known and the unknown.

Oh, but we're not done yet. The most important and final hurdle is here. If we succeed, it means everything. If we don't... that will be a sad discussion to have with the kids.

The only thing to do is to push forward.

And hold our breath.

And jump. 

Do the Math

Our zine will be comprised of ten pieces of 11x17 paper, folded in half.

This gives the Fried Eagle staff 40 pages to fill.

One page will be the front cover.
Another page will be a letter from the editors.
A third page will become the table of contents.
We also plan to have four pages of paid advertisements.
And there will be a page thanking sponsors who help fund this dream.

But why do all the math when there are two boys in swimsuits ready to help?

They figured the Fried Eagle staff has 32 pages to fill.

Minus the completed articles that have already been turned in which are:

Five pages for Paper Airplanes.
Four pages for Pumpkin Pie.
One page for How to Make a Fort.
Four pages for Lone Fir Cemetery: Portland's Dead People.
Four pages for the interview with Senator Chip Shields (still untitled).
And one page for The Missing (Gasp, what? Missing! No, just kidding.) The Escaped Parakeet

This leaves 13 pages to fill.

But...

We have two interviews scheduled with Portland's mayoral candidates and one field trip to Slappy Cakes with author and restaurant critic Paul Gerald.

And if each of these articles takes up four pages of space, well...

...go ahead, do the math.

The Eagle Soars

(Interview with Senator Chip Shields)

Team Fried Eagle is rockin' and rollin'! 

Articles in incubation are:

--Chemistry experiment with Bio-plastics
--Comic strip "Cheesy Cheetah" (or something close to that)
--Ghost story or chapter story 
--Dedication page to LeRoy Ellis (Portland's first Trailblazer) + making LeRoy's favorite cheese crackers
--How to make duct tape wallets and sock zombies

Articles completed and turned in are:

--Paper Airplanes
--Pumpkin Pie
--How to Make a Fort
--Lone Fir Cemetery: Portland's Dead People
--Interview with Senator Chip Shields
--The Missing (Gasp, what? Missing! No, just kidding.) The Escaped Parakeet

Plus, we have two upcoming interviews and one field trip:

--Mayoral candidate: Charlie Hales
--Mayoral candidate: Jefferson Smith
--Review of Slappy Cakes with Paul Gerald

The best part has been watching the evolution of these articles from an idea into the tangible copy. Us parents tend to know exactly where these ideas will lead, but then our kids surprise us with their creative twists and turns. It has been so much fun to facilitate this unpredictable process. 

Go team Eagle, go!

Brainstormed Ideas for the Fall Issue

• Learn how to kick a ball
• Make sock zombies or puppets
• Learn how to make a great fort
• What happens to cow poop?
• Make cheese
• Write a ghost story or four-part chapter story
• Comic strip
• Toy reviews
• Ice cream/cupcake reviews
• Restaurant review with "Breakfast in Bridgetown" author Paul Gerald
• Poll kids: "Who would you invite to Thanksgiving dinner and why?"
• Travel
• Your favorite farms
• Wild berry foraging
• Portland's election/US election
• Puzzle page: crossword puzzle, suduko, mad libs
• Dedication page

And here we go... Bring it on. The eagle has landed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Since Fried Eagle is new, the answers on this FAQ are theoretical (although based on best practices). It is important to keep in mind that the look and feel of the zine might evolve over time.

What is Fried Eagle?

Fried Eagle is a collective of students (and their parents) who produce a quarterly indie zine (independent magazine).

Who is this opportunity for?

The opportunity to participate in Fried Eagle is specifically available to the cohort of first graders (currently, second graders) at our elementary school. Fried Eagle is also open to the siblings of the students in this cohort.

When will meetings occur?

During the summer, meetings will occur weekly on Sundays from 4:30-5:30 in the school's back field. During the school year, meetings will occur weekly on Fridays after school.

What are the roles of the students?

Students will have many opportunities to get involved with copy, photography, artwork and special interests (for example, a student who likes to write poems can write one for the zine). Larger roles such as cover designer, sales, and editors will rotate with each issue.

What are the roles of the parents?

Since Fried Eagle is a supplemental component to our children's education in the classroom and follows the model of the 40 Developmental Assets, parents are required to contribute sweat equity to the zine. We are asking for 8 volunteer hours per magazine issue. At home, parents will need to supervise their children's work and organize play dates (for group work) to ensure everything gets done before the deadline. Parents will also need to attend a majority of the weekly meetings and field trips and assist in zine production. Furthermore, it is equally important that our children lead the content of the zine, and parents simply act as facilitators to their work.

So does this mean weekly attendance is mandatory?

Weekly attendance is not mandatory--especially during the summer. However, students and parents will need to be consistent and attend meetings regularly. The weekly time is important for everyone to check in and see each other's progress.

What if both parents or single parents work?

There are many ways for dual-income families and single working parents to dedicate their time to the zine on their days off. No child in the cohort will be turned-down simply because his/her parents are unavailable to attend the weekly meetings. However, if a child is frequently disruptive and slows the group's creative process, an adult will be required to supervise that child during the weekly meetings.

Can I have more details about how the zine will come together?

Fried Eagle is published four times per year. Themes are centered around seasons and the activities that occur during those seasons. For example, during the summer, students work on the fall issue, and during the fall, students work on the winter issue, etc.

As mentioned above, since this is our launch, the look and feel of the zine might evolve over time. Theoretically, students are tasked with weekly assignments to execute individually or in groups (for example, one student might research and write about what a mayor does, whereas a group of students might make and test different kinds of paper airplanes and write an article on their findings). During our meetings, copy, drawings and photos are pieced together, and finished articles require approval from the editors. Most importantly, everything is lead by the students and only facilitated by the adults. This is where the learning takes place.

So how will you make these zines?

Fried Eagle will partner with the Independent Publishing Resource Center (IPRC), a local nonprofit dedicated to media production. IPRC wholeheartedly encourages and welcomes parent-child zines.

This all sounds great, but how will it be funded?

There is no fee for this experience, however Fried Eagle asks every family to contribute $20 (or more, if possible) to fund the initial program supplies, IPRC training, and production of the first round of zines. The goal is to have future Fried Eagle sales generate enough money to fund itself.

What's the cost of the zine and who will sell it?

Students will set the price of Fried Eagle and help to sell it. Both paper and digital copies will be available for sale. Students can talk to local businesses to help sell the zine, too.

What will you do with the money?

Funds generated by zine sales will be placed in a bank account. A group of students and two parents who will act as dual co-signers will take a field trip to the bank to open the account. Even though students will decide how to divide and allocate the money, a large portion will be donated to the school's foundation.

How does all of this publicity work with minors?

Parents are required to sign a photo release form. We have a blog, so photos of our students are posted, however, no names are mentioned (for example, a potential employer will not be able to Google "John Doe" 30 years later, and see John working on the Fried Eagle). Furthermore, not only will students want to see photos of themselves in their zine, they will want to see their names on all of that hard work. First names and last name initial will be used on the zine.

Hey Parents!!!

You're invited to this:

It might not look like much, but we promise it is.

After many discussions and much listening at those Parent Coffees, it's our creation: a magazine entirely lead by our children.

It's called Fried Eagle.

And if you're wondering what this possibly inappropriate, politically-incorrect title has to do with the education of our students, we can tell you it means a great deal. You see, they--not us--created the name. And when they created the name, they weren't thinking about a previously endangered species and dinner. No, these lovely children of ours were simply trying to make. And in the process of that making, they learned a lot.

And the learning enhanced the education in the classroom.

Or it might have been the curriculum that supported the learning.

Or whichever way you want to look at it--upside-down, sideways, backwards--it doesn't matter. In the end, our children learned a good deal more from applying those classroom skills to this real-life experience.

And we admit: it came out a little weird.

(At least, according to us adults.)

But this isn't about us and our learning. This is about our children's process. This is about their education.

It doesn't matter what side of the fence you're on:  standardized tests versus hands-on experiences. Both are valuable. It simply depends when those skills are called-upon to be used. And yet there is one truth:  education cannot be one-sided. If we want to see our children succeed in school, we need to give them opportunities to apply their classroom skills to our community. In turn, those opportunities will support our teachers and their curriculum. And in the end, we will have built synergy and a lifetime of learning between them.

Our answer is Fried Eagle.

We hope you will join us.